Pineapple enzyme gel could revolutionize wound care for leg ulcers

NCT ID NCT07692178

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 09, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This phase 2 trial tests a gel called EscharEx, made from pineapple enzymes, on people with venous leg ulcers that have stubborn dead tissue. The gel is applied to the wound to break down and remove non-viable tissue, potentially speeding up healing. The study involves 20 adults and focuses on how the gel is absorbed, its safety, and how well it cleans the wound.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
EscharEx (EX-03) – a gel containing pineapple-derived enzymes that break down dead tissue
What this could lead to
If successful, EscharEx could offer a faster, less painful way to clean venous leg ulcers, helping them heal more effectively.
What could go wrong
This is a small, early-phase study with only 20 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. The gel could cause irritation or fail to fully clean the wound.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

About 20 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

A company

The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Men or women, older than 18 years of age, 2. Participants with a VLU (determined by medical history, physical examination, and a documented ultrasound scan demonstrating venous insufficiency), 3. Wound is present for at least 4 weeks but no longer than 2 years, 4. The adherent necrotic/thick slough/fibrin non-viable tissue area, assessed following wound cleansing with wet gauze and either sterile saline or water and mild soap, is at least 50% of the wound area (assessed by clinical evaluation), 5. Target wound surface area is in the range of 10-80 cm2 (assessed by eKare inSightTM), 6. Participants understand the nature of the procedure, is able to adhere to the protocol regimen, and provides written informed consent prior to any study procedure. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Wound size that has decreased by \> 20% after 7 (+3/-1) days of the screening period, 2. Participants with more than one leg ulcer , on the leg of the target wound, with an area greater than or equal to 2 cm2, that are between 2 cm and 5 cm away from the edge of the target wound, 3. Severely damaged skin (e.g., abrasion, erosion, exfoliation) extending \>2 cm around the wound's edge, 4. Signs of clinical infection of the wound or peri-wound, including purulent discharge, deep-tissue abscess, erysipelas, cellulitis, etc., 5. Presence of gangrene, signs of systemic infection, sepsis, or osteomyelitis during the screening phase, 6. Clinical suspicion of skin cancer (e.g., basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), melanoma, or sarcoma), near the target wound, which was not ruled out by biopsy, 7. Participants with skin disorders unrelated to the wound that are present adjacent to the wound, 8. Participants suffering from chronic skin disorders (Idiopathic Pruritus, Psoriasis, Panniculitis, Pyoderma Gangrenosum, etc.) that might deteriorate as a result of local trauma or debridement, 9. Wound has sinus tracts or tunnels extending under healthy tissue, or penetrating into periosteum, fascia or bone, 10. Participants with primary lymphatic edema (lymphedema), 11. A significant decrease in the arterial blood flow of the extremity, as demonstrated by either Toe-Brachial Index (TBI) ≤ 0.50, Ankle-Brachial Index (ABI) ≤ 0.70, Skin Perfusion Pressure (SPP) ≤ 40 mmHg, Transcutaneous oximetry (TCOM) ≤ 40 mmHg, or lack of bi-phasic or tri-phasic doppler wave forms, 12. Participants with pre-enrolment wounds which are covered by eschar heavily saturated with iodine or by silver sulfadiazine (SSD) pseudoeschar (i.e. pseudoeschar as a result of SSD treatment), 13. History of allergy or atopic disease or a known sensitivity to pineapples, papaya, bromelain or papain, as well as known sensitivity to latex proteins (known as latex-fruit syndrome), bee venom or olive tree pollen, 14. Participants with poor nutritional status: albumin \< 2.5g/dl, poorly controlled Diabetes Mellitus (for diabetic participants; HbA1c \> 12%), anemia (hemoglobin\<8 g/dL), a leukocyte counts \< 3,000/μl or \>15000/μl, platelets \<100,000/μl, abnormal liver function (AST, ALT\>2 x upper limit of normal range), renal failure (Cr \> 2.5 mg/d or eGFR \< 30ml/min /1.73m2l ), BMI\>48, 15. INR\>2 or PTT \> x 2 ULN (unless the patient receives coumarin derivatives anticoagulants (e.g. warfarin), and the INR and PTT levels are in their required levels and are stable), 16. Participants undergoing renal or peritoneal dialysis, 17. Any known condition that would preclude safe participation in the study, e.g., significant or unstable cardiac, vascular, pulmonary, liver, hematological, infectious, immunological, neoplastic disease, or any immediate life-threatening condition, 18. Recent history or concurrent acute injury or disease that might compromise the patient's welfare, according to investigator discretion, 19. The Patient is currently receiving, or has received within three months prior to enrollment, or is planned to receive during trial period, any medications or treatments known to affect the wound healing processes; these include chronic systemic steroid intake or chronic systemic steroid intake with topical skin changes (i.e. thin, fragile skin with multiple hematomas or previous laceration history), immuno-suppressive drugs, immunomodulating medications, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Low and intermittent doses that the investigator determines as not clinically significant for wound healing, may be permitted, provided that this determination is based on appropriate clinical judgment and is documented accordingly, 20. Participants treated with Pentoxifylline within 2 weeks prior to screening, 21. Venous ablation performed within the past month in an area adjacent to the target wound, 22. Mentally incapacitated adults who are incapable of giving legal consent (e.g. dementia, psychiatric participants, etc.), 23. Concurrent use of non-approved drugs or alcohol abuse, 24. Pregnant women (positive pregnancy test) or nursing mothers 25. Exposure to investigational intervention within one month prior to enrollment, or anticipated participation in another investigational drug trial or other intervention trial, while enrolled in the study.

Get updates

Get notified about this study

Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Venous leg ulcer (VLU) are added.

Our safety recommendation!

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of use

Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

ulcer of lower limbs Varicose Ulcer

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

How to take part

Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.

  1. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

    Open the record ↗

  2. A doctor treating you

    A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.